Android phone users can no longer buy e-books on the Kindle app from the Amazon website because of a change in policy by the Google Play store.
From June 1 Amazon stopped Android users making purchases on the official Kindle app, with billing options not only removed from the Amazon Kindle app but also from the Music and Audible apps. It comes in response to changes made on Google Play Store's billing policy. In May Amazon also removed the ability to buy digital goods from the its Shopping and Prime Video apps.
In a message addressing Kindle users, Amazon said: "Readers will no longer be able to buy or rent Kindle books or subscribe to Kindle Unlimited through the Amazon app for Android: this change keeps the app in compliance with Google's updated Play Store policies. You can always add to your library by buying or renting books through amazon.com from a web browser."
This mean apps on the Google Play Store have to use Google's own billing system – and therefore gives the Android makers a cut from every digital sale.
However, the email to Kindle users from Amazon outlines ways Android fans can still get content – Amazon says its official Android app can still be used to build your reading list, while Android users can also buy e-books via their web browser, as well as recommending the Kindle Unlimited service, which offers a library of hundreds of thousands e-books to read.
Alternatively, you can download the Amazon App Store for Android and the relevant apps from that marketplace. These apps will be different to those found in Google's Play Store.
The notification from Amazon went out one day before a deadline set by Google to comply with the policy. The Android maker said in 2020 that apps must use the Google Play billing system to charge for "in-app features and services. The company later gave app developers until June 1 this year to comply. Google takes a 15% cut of transactions on its Play Store billing system and said it would delete non-compliant apps from the Play Store immediately.
iPhone users are already familiar with this arrangement for the Kindle app.
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